Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 48



Only Krnovel

33. Moving (4)

When the Awaken first appeared, there was much conflicting opinion regarding their identity.

The first opinion was a clear negative.

They argued that the Awaken (then known as Occipital Lobe Hypertrophy Receptor Syndrome) were a previously unreported human mutation that was extremely dangerous and needed to be isolated from the world.

As always, the world is run by money and efficiency, and theory is usually just a handmaiden to that “good flow.”

Our old-time hunters have been criticized a lot since before.

Compared to trained soldiers, there are people who are not much different, but they are given the label of Hunter, receive higher pay, and occupy more important positions.

In the case of rich countries like Korea that suck up all the good things from their neighbors, information about hunters is kept top secret and their identities are kept completely hidden, but in the US alone, there are professional hunters who raise their profile by publicly hunting mutations or monsters under their own names, which has contributed to the psychological deprivation of many soldiers.

In fact, being a hunter is not an easy job.

Many hunters have become famous on the battlefield.

When we say that costs are high, from the government’s perspective, it is not a matter of high or low allowances, but rather that the loss rate is too high.

Of our 13 thousand people, only 300 survived out of a total of 1,200.

Suddenly, I remember what my mentor, Instructor Jang Gi-yeong, a first-generation hunter who strongly insisted on giving me the extravagant call sign of Professor, said to me.

“Park Gyu. If there were just a hundred people like you in this world, we wouldn’t have been pushed to the back room.”

The concept of a new human race suddenly appeared.

That new species was none other than Awaken.

Movements supporting Awaken began to appear here and there, led by the media, and before long, they were suddenly elevated to the status of superior beings to the old-time hunters.

The biggest factor was my motivation.

Kang Han-min and Na Hye-won.

In a desperate war, two people awaken as Awakens at the same time.

Their awakening took place in such grandeur that it was as if God himself had descended to save the world.

At the coronation of those gods, I was nothing.

They soon emerged as the mainstream of the monster frontline, and we old-time hunters were gradually pushed to the back, just as my mentor said, and eventually relegated to the status of peripheral figures who were neither here nor there.

The fate of the old school hunter who couldn’t save money can be seen just by looking at Baek Seung-hyun.

The Defender’s case is more serious.

He was betrayed by the times themselves.

Maybe the 17th or 18th generation? Considering the age difference between us, it’s definitely around that generation.

A cursed rider who applied to be a Hunter in the old days without knowing anything during the transitional period before the Hunter system changed to the Awaken system, experienced nothing but hell in China and North Korea, and returned to Korea.

“Phew······.”

Even if it’s a downhill slope, carrying a corpse and running at full speed down a mountain path is quite difficult.

That too, while being distracted by booby traps and the movements of soldiers that may be in any unknown location.

“What should I do, oppa?”

Even at this moment, the voices of the Defender siblings can be heard from the communicator.

“Be quiet. Let’s do that first.”

“that?”

“huh.”

What are you trying to do?

Could this be a beauty scam?

I don’t really like it.

“Even if you’re Awaken, if you can penetrate the distance within the reflection field, you’re just a normal human.”

“No.”

I said.

“You should have one or two grab bars for self-defense.”

“Skeleton?”

The siblings asked at the same time.

“Wait as long as you can. Don’t fight. Buy as much time as you can. I’m running now.”

“Skeleton. Where’s my father’s body?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take it with me.”

“No. Skeleton.”

The defender’s voice grew louder.

It looks like the microphone is held close to the mouth.

The Defender’s rather loud whisper was clearly transmitted to my ear through the communicator.

“Just go. Your father’s body and all.”

“Just go?”

“You came because of us. Thank you for coming. I feel the spirit of this fucking era thanks to you. I was too harsh earlier. Sorry.”

This guy.

Who knew how to speak so cutely?

I think he’s cuter than his younger sibling.

“We’ll take care of this ourselves. The other party is Awaken. We don’t want to involve you.”

At that moment, a voice came from beyond the microphone, as if someone was speaking loudly from afar.

“There, brother! Don’t worry! We don’t harm. We are the doves of peace and harmony.”

Perhaps this voice is that of a fanatic who has taken over the Defender siblings.

A religion that disobeys all laws.

My last hours in China were mostly spent dealing with this human garbage.

The Chinese people have a great imagination, as can be seen in Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but even a nation with such a great imagination seems unable to imagine a scene where humans and monsters would rush into the capital together.

Over 100 million fanatics suddenly disappeared along with the founder, Ma Won-gap, but new fanatics spread like mushrooms and carried out deadly missionary work together with monsters.

The monsters seemed to ignore them rather than accept them as allies, but when a dual enemy – humans and monsters – swarmed our defenses, there weren’t many recourses we could use.

“Stay still.”

Finally, I said it again.

“I have an idea.”

“thought?”

“Yeah. Just buy as much time as possible.”

“I’ll try to pull it.”

Defender’s brother said.

Did you say affection?

Her natural, innocent voice could be heard over the microphone.

“Excuse me, the engine is broken~.”

You communicate with me through text, but you speak well to a fanatic.

While my brother was killing time, I asked the Defender a few questions.

Information about enemy weapons, numbers, and Awakening.

There is one thing I am particularly curious about.

“How does the wave feel?”

“Skeleton. You were a hunter too.”

“It’s the same. Now, what’s the answer?”

“It’s like an upward wave. It feels like it’s ringing upward.”

“What size?”

“It doesn’t seem that big.”

“That means it’s at least level 5.”

“Maybe I should hide my power.”

Although they are all collectively called Awakens, the difference in the power of psychic users called Awakens varies greatly even among the same Awaken.

While there are divine beings like my classmates Kang Han-min and Na Hye-won who are called saviors just by being on the battlefield, there are also countless lowly rookies who pretend to be strong in front of the capsule I brought.

The level of the Awaken is determined by strict criteria, unlike the ranks of our old-time hunters. For example,

The stage of recognizing the power of the other world.

The stage where you can perceive and touch the power.

A stage where power can be used in a limited manner.

A stage where you can use your power freely.

A stage where you can freely use sufficient power.

In this way, we define the criteria and assign levels based on whether or not the test meets those criteria.

“Sister! Sister!”

I see it over there.

The one called Awaken that the Defender spoke of.

Blasphemously, the Awaken is dressed as a priest.

Behind them, five men and women holding baseball bats and ropes stood like a folding screen.

There is no gun.

No, you probably don’t need it.

If you look at the armament, it is designed for capture rather than killing.

Anyway, it arrived just in time.

“Oh, Sister. I think there’s someone else in the car. Why isn’t he coming out?”

As Awaken gestured, the men and women behind him approached the truck, wielding bats.

Then the Defender opened the car door, got out and aimed his gun.

The fanatics retreated in fear, but Awaken remained calm before the flashing muzzles.

“Oh, like that.”

Instead, he smiled leisurely and displayed his God-given power.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

This guy must be at least level 5.

It looks like it’s creating a shockwave just like the monster called Wave.

“Another Mia who is still caught up in prejudice.”

Defender and his younger brother appear to be overwhelmed by the shockwave.

“Are you a human?”

In some ways, my brother’s expression is the most natural reaction a normal human being can have.

Because when Awaken unleashes his powers, he honestly doesn’t look human.

By the way, my brother is like that, but why is that Defender guy so scared?

If you were active in China, it’s not like you couldn’t deal with Awaken.

No, maybe the rumors are true.

The saying goes that the cursed rider was a rider who would be thrown away anyway, so the school didn’t give him proper education.

“S, Skeleton.”

The Defender spoke in an unusually trembling voice.

“Run away. You don’t have to die too.”

I am grateful.

Thank you.

Thinking of a worthless person like me.

But that’s it.

Defender.

The waves that fanatic is causing.

“······.”

It’s so insignificant compared to the waves my dear comrades have thrown at me.

“Put the gun down. Guns don’t work on me.”

I checked the fanatic’s armament again.

There was no other weapon in the man’s hand.

The same goes for the person behind you who has a uselessly kind look in his eyes.

“I was chosen by God. Maybe you too can be chosen by God and reach a higher level like me.”

“Defender.”

He put down his load and spoke on the radio.

The Defender closed the car door and answered the call.

“uh.”

“Have you ever killed an Awaken?”

“I’ve dealt with it with reflective bullets before.”

“None. What about monsters?”

“That too with Hunter equipment and firepower support······.”

“Okay. Go and get your sister into the car.”

“Oh, you’re going to deal with it alone?”

Pingurur

The pistol, which was always in a closed state, rotated at the tip of his finger.

“Watch carefully.”

“what?”

“It might help.”

Upon completion of training, our hunters are given a nickname called a call sign.

That call sign isn’t something you decide on yourself, nor is it something that one instructor decides on.

We discuss and discuss at the faculty meeting to decide on a true name that would be suitable for that graduate.

My call sign, Professor, was decided unanimously.

The reason is probably my uncluttered, flawless technique.

In fact, many hunters have learned from me and even imitated me in order to learn more.

With the advent of Awaken, my lectures have come to an end, but after a long hiatus, I feel I have yet another young Hunter to teach.

“Put the gun down.”

He quickly approached the man and aimed his pistol at him.

The seeds behind Awaken are stirring, but Awaken remains calm.

thud!

A shockwave occurred near Awaken’s heart.

“I warn you.”

He raised his pistol toward Awaken.

The moment he raised his gun, a black crack appeared in front of the man.

Monster’s abilities.

It’s a reflective field.

The defender’s cry was heard.

“Skeleton!”

“Look carefully.”

He said without looking back.

The reflective field reflects all physical attacks that enter its area in the same direction, like a mirror.

My seniors, who had been severely beaten by the reflection field, soon developed their own method of destruction.

bang!

Fired a bullet.

Almost simultaneously another crack appeared in front of me.

This is the exit of the reflection field.

As soon as the exit appeared, it spat out all the bullets I had shot at it.

“Skeleton!”

I heard my brother scream.

It is true that the bullet actually flew at me.

But the bullet just passes me by.

The defender muttered when he saw it.

“This, intimidating?”

A feint attack that Chinese hunters call a “false summon”.

If the nature of a reflective field is to return the opponent’s attack in kind, then this technique was created based on the simple idea that if you don’t hit from the start, you won’t get hit.

In reality, monsters have no ability to distinguish between jokes and serious remarks, and the reflection field has limitations not only in terms of physical but also in terms of usability, so it cannot be used infinitely or continuously, so many monsters were hunted using this characteristic.

Kim Da-ram and I, both master marksmen, have slaughtered hundreds of monsters together.

On the outskirts of Beijing, as many as twenty were killed in one day.

Monsters exist infinitely, so their numbers are meaningless, but it was a meaningful major that revealed that they also have a learning effect.

Also, that skill was the reason why the Chinese couldn’t say anything about our negligence.

“Tongue, brother?!”

The distance between me and the man has narrowed.

If we advance a little further, we will be within the station master’s minimum range.

The man raised his hand.

I felt a strange current flowing around me, and fine threads spread out like spider webs everywhere.

As you move to the side to avoid the solid line, the area where the solid line was engraved starts burning white with a flash of light.

I think it was called ignition.

This is the offensive psychic ability developed by Awaken.

But that level of attack won’t make much of an impression on me.

He picked up the gun again.

The man unfolded his reflective field.

This time, he opens his eyes wide and tries to look at my gun.

You probably don’t want to waste your power.

He fired the gun straight away.

bang!

The bullet flew straight towards the man.

The man grinned and spread his face out on the stationery.

A black area gaped in front of me and sent another bullet.

That bullet,

Shhh-

It passed by, barely brushing my hair.

Scalping.

You could say it’s the extreme of intimacy dating.

It is a type of acrobatics used against entities that are immune to camouflage shooting due to the learning effect.

Kim Da-ram, who I have lost contact with now, survived despite performing numerous stunts.

Zururuk-

I pulled out my axe, feeling a light trickle of blood flowing from the side of my head where the bullet had passed through.

It’s on the street.

“Hey, stop it!”

The fanatics tried to stop me,

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Empty the magazine in an instant,

Bam!!

I took care of the rest with an axe.

Now all that remains is one chosen by the self-proclaimed god.

Sensing that death was imminent, he closed his eyes, raised his arms, and assumed a praying posture.

“······I finally give in to your persuasion.”

The peaceful martyrdom of a fanatic is not what I wanted, so it ended in a cruel way that was not like me.

He made a sound by hitting his knees, made him fall to the ground, and struck his head with the axe handle, making his head slam into the ground and chew on the dirt. Then he struck the back of his head with the axe, which already had several pieces of brain matter on it.

Bam!

“······.”

He pulled out the axe, wiped the bloody blade with the dead man’s clothes, and turned around.

My siblings were looking at me with wide eyes.

“let’s go.”

That’s all for today’s lecture.

*

The full moon, which had been covered by clouds all night, seemed to be trying to relieve its sorrow by revealing itself not far from the center of the zodiac at dawn when the sun was rising.

Under the sun and moonlight we bid farewell to a corpse.

The son and father faced each other.

After two years and five months.

The murderer who had killed countless fathers looked at the dried corpse’s face with fearful and trembling eyes.

“father.”

A beautiful hand with long, white fingers touched the corpse’s face.

“······sorry.”

The defender bowed his head.

He didn’t sob or shed any tears, but he just kept his head down and didn’t move for quite a while.

My brother, holding a match, glanced at me.

She bowed to me.

Likewise, he bowed and left the place.

As the Defender says, it’s a family affair.

Not related to outsiders.

After a while, a wisp of smoke spread far away on the morning breeze.

Far above the sky, a single combat helicopter was heading north.

*

Although I became neighbors with the Defender siblings through many twists and turns, we didn’t interact for a while.

The shared communicator remained silent and no Defenders appeared in the community.

In the past, if Defender wasn’t seen for a few days, there would be talk, but with the invaders from Palenet appearing frequently and our users spending more time reading quality articles on Palenet than on our deserted bulletin board, there wasn’t really much of a buzz.

I’m sorry.

Is this what you were aiming for?

What a truly creepy man······.

It was a week and a day after the reunion that the Defender contacted me again.

“Hey. Skeleton! Skeleton! My brother has something to say.”

It was my younger brother who started the conversation first.

What kind of greeting is this? Thank you.

There’s nothing to be thankful for.

Honestly, I feel reassured just by having one more friendly force in my neighborhood.

But I think I underestimated these siblings too much.

After a long silence, the Defender spoke.

“S, Ssir······!”

“?!”

“Let’s have a housewarming party, sir!”

what.